SANTA MONICA, Calif. & HONG KONG–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Kite, a Gilead Company (Nasdaq: GILD), and HiFiBiO Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on the discovery of therapeutic antibodies through single B cell screening and analysis, announced the companies have entered into a research collaboration and license agreement to develop technology supporting the discovery of neoantigen-reactive T cell receptors (TCRs) for the potential treatment of various cancers, including solid tumors.

Kite and HiFiBiO intend to adapt HiFiBiO’s proprietary single cell technology platform to create a high throughput approach that will potentially allow for the in-depth screening of TCR repertoires from patient samples to identify shared antigen and neoantigen TCRs for use in adoptive cellular therapies. Neoantigens arise from tumor-specific mutations that are unique to each patient’s cancer, offering the potential for more targeted antitumor activity.

Under the terms of the agreement, HiFiBiO will receive a $10 million upfront payment and will be eligible for additional payments based on the achievement of certain research milestones. Kite will have an exclusive option to license HiFiBiO’s platform to screen T cell repertoires and to identify TCRs for use in TCR engineered T cell therapies with a corresponding payment to HiFiBiO.

“Neoantigen-based cell therapy is a very exciting, yet complex, area of research that has the potential to transform the way we treat many solid tumors,” said Alessandro Riva, MD, Gilead’s Executive Vice President, Oncology Therapeutics & Head, Cell Therapy. “We are excited about this collaboration with HiFiBiO, which will build upon our existing capabilities focused on discovering cell therapies which target patient-specific tumor neoantigens.”

“Kite is a recognized leader in the cell therapy field,” said Liang Schweizer, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer, HiFiBiO Therapeutics. “We are proud that our proprietary single cell technology platform, which is utilized to support the rapid progression of our novel antibody therapeutics pipeline, will now also be implemented by Kite for the development of novel cell therapies targeting neoantigens.”

About HiFiBiO Therapeutics

HiFiBiO Therapeutics is an emerging multinational biotherapeutics company mobilizing the human immune system to combat disease. The company integrates deep-rooted biological expertise with its comprehensive single-cell profiling technologies to discover and accelerate a pipeline of antibody drugs to treat cancer and autoimmune disorders. In addition, HiFiBiO Therapeutics aspires to address unmet medical needs around the world through open-innovation partnerships with industry and academia. The company features a strong global footprint with cutting-edge laboratories on three continents in Cambridge, Mass., Paris, France, and Shanghai, China. For more information, please visit www.hifibio.com.

About Kite

Kite, a Gilead Company, is a biopharmaceutical company based in Santa Monica, California. Kite is engaged in the development of innovative cancer immunotherapies. The company is focused on chimeric antigen receptor and T cell receptor engineered cell therapies. For more information on Kite, please visit www.kitepharma.com.

About Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes innovative medicines in areas of unmet medical need. The company strives to transform and simplify care for people with life-threatening illnesses around the world. Gilead has operations in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California. For more information on Gilead Sciences, please visit the company’s website at www.gilead.com.